Josh Goff Lecture

Josh Goff came in to talk about his business, Commonwealth Curb Appeal, and the importance of presentation and marketing for new entrepreneurs. At first, I was a little put off by him, as he was decked out as a cowboy, and couldn't understand how he could give advice on the topic. I was secretly hoping that his attire was an example of what not to do. It wasn't. Still, he had a few excellent points.

First Goff, emphasized the importance of a plan. He stressed that without a Mission Statement and a set purpose, your business goals wouldn't be understood by others and you would get nowhere fast. This was the first of three things he said you MUST have. The second was a team that featured a wide variety of reliable people with various expertise. The third was the capability of you and your team to properly network and to host events that raise awareness of your business. He stressed that proper networking skills need to be taught in most cases.

Goff also talked about presentation and the links between you, your team and the business. He said that hosting showcases, events and parties was the reason he no longer spent any money on advertising for his business (as of the fourth year CCA was pulling 1million in revenue). Knowing your very specific target market is key to determining what type of functions you should hold (his target were married couples with children, in a specific area, that own their own homes, and have a specific amount of disposable income). Next he said that you must be presentable at all times. That includes not playing loud music in your car when you pull up to places, being well groomed always, not chewing gum, and never using slang. He also said that when networking, don't just exchange cards. Instead, get to know the person, ask them strategic questions, and ask them how YOU CAN HELP THEM.

While he was off-putting at first, it turned out to prove several of his points.

http://www.commonwealthcurbappeal.com/